Beer: Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by marcobrau:

A hazy, golden ale that pours with plenty of foam that settles slowly leaving some lace behind. Slight whiff of fruit in the nose; predominantly apple.Gentle carbonation, which is good. Tastes a bit fruity (apples, pears) along some juicy caramel maltiness and decent peppery bitterness. Rather full-bodied without being too malt forward. I think this is an ale that Reminds me a bit of one of my home-brewed bitters served from a Party Pig. This beer really needs to be experienced a bit warmed up and not right out of the fridge to be enjoyed and I would guess that it really needs to be served from the cask to be fully appreciated. Like the fact that it's low in alcohol.

More User Reviews:

Its been awhile since I had a traditional bitter and bottled bitters may not be anything close to a cask or even a draught bitter but this is more traditional than what I might find in my neck of the woods.Poured into an English pint glass a brilliant medium golden with a copper tinger a well formed 1/2 finger white head atop.Notes of biscuit and a very light mineral element as well hops are not really detectable,toasty flavors with light caramel biscuit malt flavors as well as some mineral,flavors are light and not bitter but appetizing and its off the charts on drinkability no doubt.

A 500ml bottle with a BB of May 2013. ABV stated as 3.5%. Picked up a while back from a supermarket in Oxford.

Poured into a tulip pint glass. A clear sunset-amber colour with good carbonation and faint sediment. Forms a small head of white foam that lasts for a minute or two before subsiding. Aroma of mild caramel malt with hints of fruity ale yeast, stewed leaves, faint grain and a touch of solvent.

Tastes of mild caramel malt with a dry finish. Notes of grain, faint caramel, fruity ale yeast, stewed leaves and a delicate earthiness. A subtle bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, dry and tingly, with pleasant carbonation and good body for the style. Somewhat astringent, followed by an aftertaste of dry stewed leaves and weak caramel malt.

A pretty average bitter. Not bad but it doesn't really grab your attention. Flavour and aroma are balanced yet dull and uncharismatic. Drinkable but quite forgettable - I know Hook Norton can do better. Worth sampling but no need to seek it out.

500ml bottle, 3.5% ABV. Anything resembling an English pub bitter in these parts, done well, has my vote - let us see. Another new offering in Alberta that is only available in the large, soulless chain liquor store(s).

This beer pours a crystal clear medium bronzed amber hue, with two fingers of tightly foamy, somewhat creamy off-white head, which leaves a low undulating berm of painted lace around the glass as it quickly dissolves.

The carbonation is decently reserved - not absent, not interfering, the body medium light in weight, and everyman smooth. It finishes fairly dry, the mostly crisp, grainy malt seeing fit to share quality time with still prevalent, and softly bitter hops.

Well, I can't really bitch and moan at all about anything here, other that the weird hegemony that brought this beer to me, which is not the brewer's fault (I hope), so I will say that this is an easy drinking bitter, definitely not too acerbic, and worthy of many another round, were that the situation.

Taste: Malt opens up in the flavor with a nice, gently biscuity and grainy/straw-like character. Minor apple-like fruitiness. Followed by floral and spicy hops with an edge of grassiness. Mild undertones of buttery diacetyl. Firm bitterness appears across the middle and lingers into the finish, gaining momentum as it goes. It finishes quick and dry with just a suggestion of malt and some spinning, swirling hints of spicy and floral hops left behind.

Had a bottle at Tap and Table in Emmaus. I was never a big believer in bottled English session beers, but this was full-flavored session ale. There was a smooth biscuity malt character throughout with mild spice and fruity esters. There was a herbal citrus peel tast upfront and then the beer finished with a peppery hop kick and had the body of a roughly 5% pale ale. It didn't feel light or watery and it was rich in subtle English character despite the low alcohol. Very drinkable, check it out if you like the style.

Pours a crystal clear golden copper color with a nice dense white head that dissipated into a cap. The aroma is a little bready, buttery, and musty. The taste is of a light bready malt followed by white grape and green apple, some butter/nut flavors, a bit of hard water and finishes with a hop bitterness. The feel is moderate, with semi-soft carbonation leading to a fairly silky feel. Again, finishes slightly bitter. A very nice brew with some good subtle flavors with a perfect amount of hop bitterness for the style. Recommended.

Out of date (by 4 months) brown 500ml bottle, cost me 10 Pence because it was past its best before date.

Poured into a straight pint glass, the beer is a clear, bright, terracotta red colour. The head was an off-white blanket of tightly knitted foam. A constant flow of bubbles burst up towards the head throughout the tasting.

The aroma was fairly sweet, hoppy and it had a very English Bitter type smell, as you would expect.

Crisp, sharp and bitter in flavour, a very good example of an English Bitter.

A good feel to it considering the ABV is only 3.6%, sure it is a little watery, but it has a body and the flavours stay in the mouth well after the fluid has been swallowed.

Taste: Biscuity malt gives way to a musty, earthy English hoppiness followed by a glaze of buttery toffee and a touch of fruitiness like dried plums or apricots. Hooky leaves just a hint of herbal bitterness in the aftertaste.

Notes: pretty to look at, nice bouquet, supple in the mouth and a complex taste that lies in layer upon layer of the soil of England. My God this is a beer.

Pours a white, three-finger head that fades quickly to a thin layer leaving some lace. Crystal clear amber color. Light-medium carbonation and light-medium bodied. Very light floral nose. Flavor is light, slightly sweet and not at all bitter but hints of bitterness at finish. $6.50 for a 500ml bottle from Tully's Beer & Wine Wells, Me.

Playin' hooky tonight. ...Wow...sorry... Anyway, this stuff pours a clear soft gold topped by a finger of white foam. The nose comprises biscuit, mild cocoa, earthy greens, light oak, and dried tobacco (like a nice Connecticut wrapper). The taste brings in more of the same, with a blast of firm earth, oak, and tobacco really taking control, junta-style. Things just don't sit right with me, honestly, especially considering how much I prefer democracy. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a generally smooth feel. Overall, this bitter just didn't do it for me. The hops came through far too tobacco-y to be enjoyable, and this is coming from someone who enjoys a nice cigar. Don't know what went wrong, but something clearly did.

Pours a light orange color, inch of head and little in the way of lace. Aroma is yeasty, sweet, floral, and somewhat malt driven. In the taste, ale yeast, mellow noble bittering hop, and a light malt character. Just a bit of toffee, herbal hop, and a very clean finish. Mild, yet with a good malt bill and creamy mouthfeel. Overall, a nice mild English session ale, easy and unobtrusive.

Pours a slightly cloudy deep amber with a rocky white head that sticks to everything it touches. Smell is malty sweet with hints of toffee and caramel. There are some floral/earthy hops in here but every time I think I smell them they are gone to quickly. Taste is again malty bready and sweet with caramel and toffee. Some hops do come out in the flavor earthy floral cut through the malt quite nicely. There is a slight mineral element in the taste as well as a hint of butter. Medium to low level of carbonation, sweet sticky mineral mouthfeel with a medium body. This beer flew through my glass on this 98 degree day. This is an easy drinking light ale with enough flavor to keep my attention, to bad it takes a bit of work to get one of these to enjoy at home.

The beer pours a dark gold/amber color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a light, pale malt scent along with an equally light noble hop aroma. The taste is good as well. It's thin with decent malt flavor and a mildy bitter finish. It goes down really smooth and doesn't seem watery even at 3.6% abv.. The mouthfeel fine perfect. It is a low/medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a near perfect English bitter. It's flavorful with just the right amount of malts and hops; a great session beer.

The colour is red-copper, the liquid a bit cloudy. The head is large and off white, leaving some lacing.

The smell is spicy and creamy with a somewhat chemical (but still pleasant) note of wax and matured cheese.

Herb-like sour-bitter flavours dominates the taste. Basil, coriander, oregano, cloves There is a subtle malty sweetness that balances all the spicy notes. The long aftertaste got those herbs too, but also some honey-like sweetness and a pleasant bitterness.

The carbonation is a bit stronger than expected, small bubbles. The liquid is very liquid.
A well crafted session beer. Who says you must have lots of alcohol to make a great tasting beer?